Railway-signal.



S. L. ADLER. RAILWAY SIGNAL.

uruonmn mum ma. 26, 1910.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

R SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' 'Witnesses i jj j I V nventor,

by r Attorneys s. L. ADLER. RAILWAY SIGNAL. APPLIOATIOH IILBD MAR. 25, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1&1

6' 40 I mfg 14% Attorneys Pa tented Sept. 26, 1911.

I vation of the complete device,

1h all whom it may concern;

- UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SSAMU EL Ia. ADLEB, Oli S'I'ONEWALL, MISSISSIPPI, LBSIGNOR O1! ONE-FOURTH 1'0 MARION A, GILLELANTD, OI STONEWALL, MISSISSIPPI.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. AuLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stonewall, in the county of Clarke and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Railway-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a railway si a1 of novel and improved form, to provide a means for mountin the signal, so that it may be swung pendu umwise or restrained against swinging, and to providea novel mechanism for operating the signal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for actuating the operati-ng mechanism, and to provide novel means for operatively uniting the several constituent mechanisms of the device.

The drawings show but-one form of the invention, and it is to be understood that changes, properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, may be made, without de arting-from the spirit of the invention.

n the drawings,-'Figure 1 is a side eleparts being broken away; Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the signal and of the mechanismwhereby the same is operated, the housing for the operating mechanism being entirely removed, in order that structural vdetails may more clearly appear; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a yieldable connecting rodwhich enters into the structure; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the signal-proper, and of a portion of the housing whereby the signal-proper is carried, parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the signal-proper and its mounting, the, cutting plane being at right angles to the cutting plane of vFig. 4; Fig. 6 is a top plan of the signal-proper, parts beingbroken away; Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the signal, the cutting plane being at right angles to the cutting planes of Figs. 4 and 5; and Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective, depicting certain details of the operating mechanism.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be mounted adjacent railway tracks, in order to impart information to the operators of passing trains.

The device consists, broadly speaking, of

specification 01' Letters Patent. Application filed March 1910. Serial No.

signal systems,

Patented Sept. 26, 1911. 551,505.

three constituent parts; ture; a slgnal; and a the signal.

a supporting strucmeans for operating The supporting structure and the general construction of the device will be briefly described first; the signalrolper will then be described in detail; and na ly the operating mechanism will likewise be described in 7 signal box 6 is sus ended in the casing 5,

and so mounted, t

erein that it may be swung to and fro,

as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The signal box 6 isprotected by arm 3. The of an operating a hood 7 supported upon the signal is swung by means mechanism located within the housing 1, suitable connections, located in the standard 2,'in the elbow and in the arm 3, uniting the operating mechanism with the signal. An operating rod 8 protrudes from the base ofthe housing 1. This operating rod serves to position the signal box 6 in such a way that it may be swung back and forth, and

whereby the signal box 6 may be swung. At this point, it may {profitably be stated that the operating rod 8 may be actuated in any desired manner. If desired the operating rod may be con nected with a swltch point, with a movable member of a switch stand or the like, the signal box 6 thus being put in motion when the switch point is thrown. However, the device may be used in connection with block and in such case, the operating rod 8 may be thrown manually. So far as the operation of the structure as an entity is concerned, it is entirely immaterial what means are employed for manipulating the operating rod 8.

Passing now to a detailed description of the signal-proper, it will be seen that the signal box 6 1s surmounted by a slanting top 10, terminating in a' tubular neck 11. In this neck 11 are located spaced, perforated ventilating screens 12, of any desired construction. V

The invention further includes a crucilikewise constitutes a means for setting a motor 9 in operation,

form signal holder 14, the outline of'which.

A socket 17 serves to receive a portion of the mechanism whereby the signal is operated; as will be made plain hereinafter. There is an opening through the transverse arms 18 of the signal holder, and in this opening is mounted a shaft 19 The ends of the shaft 19 are mounted in a signal support, the same being shown in the form of a ring 20,

This ring 20 1sadaptedto be inserted in the bottom 21 of the casing 5, and about the periphery of the ring 20, at its upper end, there is an outstanding flange 22 which operates to hold the rmg 20 against slipping 20 downwardly through the bottom 21 of the casing may be secured about the ring 20 below the bottom 21, thus securing the ring 20 in place in the bottom 21, for rotation in a fixed I 25 horizontal plane.

- In the four side walls of the signal box 6, there are bulls eye lenses. Two of these lenses, disposed opposite to each other, prefe ably show a white light, while the two other lenses, denoted by the numeral 25 show a red light; the white lenses being denoted by the numeral 24. The sides of the signal box 6 in which the red lenses 25 are located, are painted red; while those sides of the box in which the white lenses are located, are painted white. When the track is clear, and he signal is in running position, a white side of the signal box and one ofthe white lenses 24 will be'disposed towarda passing. train. The signal is thus depicted inv Fig. 1.

Located within the signal box 6 is a dis play element of some sort,'the' same being shown in the present instance, convention:

ally, in the form of a lamp 26, retained in A place by a suitable holding device 27 J ournaled for rotation in the signal box 6, and

disposed at right angles to the planes of the red bulls eye lenses 25, is a shaft 28. Di-

vergingdisplay arms 29, terminating in enlarged disks 30 .are secured to the 'shaft 28 adjacent the;en'ds thereof, there being a set ofthese diverging arms 29 for each of' the red'bulls eye lenses 25.

5 5 A rigid connection 31 is pivotally united, eccentrically, with the shaft 28, the upper end of the connection 31 being pivotally united, as,seen' most clearly in Fig. 4, with the inner face of the ring 20. In the lower upright arm 15 of the signal holder, there is a slot 68, adapted to receive the connection 31.

Passing now to a description of the mec j I anism. whereby the gnal is operated, it

5. If desired, an auxiliary ring 23 shoulder 43 adapted to engage one arm of a connected to. one end of the element 46. The

-- a pivot pin 50.

will be seen, by referring to Fig. 2, that one arm of ajbell crank 32, pivotally supported at 33 in the housing 1, is connected pivotally to the operating rod '8. The lower end of a rod 34 is pivoted to the other arm of the bell crank 32. This rod 34'exercises important functions in the operating mech- '1 anism, and for clearness, the rod 34 will be referredhereinafter as the actuating'member.

otally connected to the upper end of them- 'tuating member 34. A rod 36, 1isp0sed in v the arm 3, is pivotally connected at one end to the upper arm of the bell crank 35 the other end of the rod 36 being mounted for rotation in the upper surface of the ring 20.

In order to actuate the operating mechanism a motor 9 is provided. In the present instance, the motor 9 is electrically driven 5 and is located within the housing 1. This motor 9 actuates a worm shaft 37, the same meshing into a worm wheel 38 which is supported for rotation in the housing 1. A .pitman 39 connects the worm wheel 38 with an arcuate transverse head 40, located at the end of a rock arm 41, pivotally supported at 42 in the housing l.

Upon the actuating member 34, there is a '95 bell (frank 44, pivotally supported at 45 in the housing 1. The extremity of the other arm of the bell crank 44 is pivotally united with a yieldable connecting rod 46. This connecting rod 46 is shown in detail in Fig. 3, and it will there be seen that it comprises telescoped parts 47, united by a retractilew spring 48, housed within the contour of the. parts 47. An. upright rod 49 is pivotallj' pivotal union betweenthe members 46 and 49,may be effected, as shown in Fig. 8, by This pivot pin 50 outstands beyond the connecting member 46 and is adapted to be engaged ina notch 67 in the 11( head 40 of thearm 41. The upper end of .the rod 49 is pivotally connected with one arm of a bell crank 51 which is mounted to swing in the elbow 4.

It will be seen that the rod 49 may be 11! tilted to and fro, and it will be described hereinafter under the general designation of a tiltable rod. When the pin 50 is en- I gaged in the notch 67 of the head 40 of the frock arm 41 it will be seenthatthe rod 49 12 iis operatively conn hted land these interlool 'ng elements upon the members 49 and 40 will be referred to hereinafter as a locking device for operatively with the motor 9,

connecting the tiltable rod'49 with the mo- 12 'tor 9.

Pivotally connected with one arm of the bell crank 51, is a horizontally disposed rod Pivotally supported in the elbow 4, is a 75 bell crank 35,-the lower end of which is p1vof the rod 52 pin 50 isout of 3 a concrete example,

.1. Fixed upon the tiltable rod 49 end of the arm 60 there wi 1 be as follows. moves in the direction of 52, locatedfin the arm .3. Hinged to the end is a pin 53. As seen' most clearly in Fig. 5, this pin 53 registers rotatably in-t'he socket 17 of the signal holder.

, A locking device is provided for holding the tiltable rod 49 in such a position that the I engagement with the notch 67 in the head ofthe rock arm 41. This locking device includes a finger 54 which, at one end is pivoted as shown at 55, within the housing 1. An upright arm 56 is pivoted atone end to the intermediate ortion of the finger 54. The udpper end of t e arm 56 is pivoted to one en of a finger 57, the finger 57 being pivotally supported, intermediate its en s, at 58, within the housing is a shoulder 5'9, and this shoulder 59 is, as seen in Fig. 8, notched, to receive the free ends. of the fingers 54 and 57 and, when the fingers are thus in engagement with the shoulder 59, it will be seen that the tiltable rod 49 will be so held that the pin 50 cannot swing into engagement with the notch 67 in the head 40 of the rock arm 41 when the rock arm is moved.

Fixed to the actuating member 34 and outstanding at right angles thereto, is an arm 60. A compression spring 61 surrounds the actuating member 34 beneath the arm 60, the compression spring abutting 'against the arm 60 at one end, and, at the other end, abutting against a washer 62, secured to the spring '61 and adapted to bear upon the finger 57, intermediate its fulcrum 58 and that end of the finger which is in engagement with the shoulder 59. Upon the is a transverse brush and fro upon a conany suitable manner This brush 63 is ar- 63, adapted to wipe to tact plate64, upheld in within the housing 1. ranged to complete tor 9. The current for actuating the motor 9 may be supplied in any desired manner. In the present instance, in order to embody a battery 66 is shown located within the housing 1, but it is obvious that any other means motor 9 may be provide In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the several parts of the invention are shown in the positions which they will assumewhen one of the white bulls eyes 24 is disposed toward an oncoming train, the signal thus indicating that the track is clear. Suppose, how ever, that, through the throwing of a switch point, orby means of a manually operated signal lever or the like, the operating rod 8 is moved in the direction of the arrow A in Fi 2. Then the operation of the device As th the arrow A, the actuating member 34 will, through the in- -posed in shown in dotted line it the an electrical circuit 1 through a conductor 65, united with the mo" 'for energizing the y e operating rod 8 strumentality of the bell crank 32,- move in the-direction of the arrow B. As the actuating member 34 thus moves, the arm 60 will be lifted, causing the brush 63 the circuit in the conductor 65, thus energizing the motor 9. As the actuating mem ber 34 moves in the direction of'the arrow the rod 36 through the instrumentality of the bell crank 35, will move In the direction of the arrow 0. By referring to Figs. 5 and 6 it will be seen that the transverse arms 18 to complete of the signal holder 14 are normally disa common plane with the rod 52 whereby the holder is tilted; but, when the rod 36 moves in the direction of the arrow C, the ring 20 will be rotated, positioning the transverse arms 18 at right angles to the rod 52, thus positioning the signal in such a manner that it may be tilted by the rod 52 as hereinafter described. The movement of the actuating member 34 in the direction of the arrow B, as described up to this point, has resulted in actuating the motor 9 and in turning the signal box 6through an arc of 90, so that it may be tilted to and fro as in Fi 1. The operation of tilting the signal box may'now be set forth.

As soon as the motor 9 is put into operation, it will cause a rotation of the worm shaft 37, the Worm shaft causing the arm 'wheel 38 to rotate, the pitman 39 raising the head 40 of the rock arm 41. Obviously, so

long as the motor 9 is in operation, the rock I arm 41 will move upwardly and downwardly at its free end, upon the pivot point 42 of the rock arm. I

When the actuating'member 34 moves in the direction of the arrow B, carrying with arm 60, the spring 61 will be lifted, so that it no longer exerts a pressure upon the When this spring pressure is removed from the finger 57, the fingers 57 and 54 will drop apart at their free ends. operation takes place by reason of the fact that the portion of, the finger 54 which is located between the free end of the fin or 54 and the point of union between the said finger and the arm 56, is sufiiciently heavy to separate the fingers when:the ressure of the spring 61 upon the arm 5 is removed. When the free ends of the arms 57 and 54 are thus spaced apart, they will release the shoulder 59 of the tiltable rod 49.

As the actuating member 34 moves in the direction of the arrow B the shoulder 43 will engage the free end of the bell crank 44, tilting the bell crank, and causing the connecting rod46 to draw the lower end of the tiltable rod 49 toward the head 40 of the rock arm 41. The in 50 will, through the instrumentality o the spring 48 (Fig. 3), be drawnagainst 'the edge of the head 40, the pin 50 ultimately regis- 25 not only be swung back member 34, the ring crank 44, the lower arm tering in the notch 67 as the head 40 reciprocates. When the\ pin 50 is thus in ena o 49 will be 0 erativelyv connected with the'motor9, so t at,-as the worm wheel 38 I rotates, the rod 49 will reciprocate vertically. "It should be recalled at this point, that in the initial movement of the actuating has been turned to an angle of 90 so that the transverse arms .18' of the slgnal holder now stand at right an les-to the rod 52.- Therefora'when the- 10d 49 reciprocates longitudmally, the rod 52, through the medium of the. bell crank 51, will reciprocate longitudinally, causing the signal box 6 to swing to and fro as indicated in Fig. 1, so in operation.

As the signal box swings to and fro, the connection '31, being secured at its upper long as the motor 9 1s .end to the ring 20, will maintain the several display arms 29 in fixed ositions, the disks 30 alternately occulting t e lenses 25, as the said lenses swing past the disks 30. Thus, when the lamp 26 is lighted, the same will and forth, but, at the same time, will. be made' to flash, as. it

swings;

ement with the notch 67, the tiltable When the operating rod 8 is moved in the direction of the arrow D, the si al box 6 will be turned back through 90 into its original position, thus locking the swinging holder 14 against movement, the brush 63 breaking the circuit through the conductor and stopping the motor 9. The shoulder 43 moving from beneath the bell of the 'same will 4 drop, the connectingmember 46 tilting the rod 49 and moving the pin 50 out of the slot 67 in the head 40. The spring 61 will be made to bear against upon the arm 57, closing the free ends of the arms 54 and 57 together upon the shoulder 59 of the tiltable rod 49 and engaging the same, as seen in Fig. 8; the several parts of the device thus being restored to the positions originally described, and depicted in Fig. 2.

' single .planeshifting .tating the Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A device of the class. described com.- prising asignal holder mounted for axial rotation and for swinging movement in a with the rotation "of the holder; means operating in a fixed plane for swinging the holder; and means for roholder to cause the plane of swinging movement of the holder to pass into and out of coincidence with the operating plane of the swinging means.

2. A device. of the ciass described consisting of a ring held for rotation in a fixed plane; a cruciform signal holder having its transverse arms pivoted in the ring; means for rotating the ring; means for swinging.

the holder; and asignalcarriedby the signal holder.

prising a support; a signal box mounted for swinging movement in the support; a.d1splay element carried by the signal box; an arm pivotally carried by the signal box for movement in front of the display element; and a rigid connection between the arm and the support.

4. A device prising a signalmounted for rotation and for swlnging movement; an actuating member; a motor; means operable by the actuating member to start and to stop the motor; means connecting the motor with the signal to'swing the signal; and means connecting of the class described com- 3. A device ofgthe class described com- I the actuating member with the signal for rotating the signal.

5. A device of the class described comprising a signal; an actuating member; a motor; means operable by the actuating member to start and to stop the motor; means for swinging the signal; and a looking device operable by the actuating member for operatively connecting the swinging means wlth the motor.

6. A-device of the class described comprising a signal mounted for swinging movement and for'rot-ation; an actuating member constituting a ,means for rotating the signal; a tiltable rod arranged to swing I the rock arm; a device upon the actuating member for starting and stopping the operating means; means operable by the actuatthe signal; a rock arm; means for operating ing member for causing the tiltable rod to interlock with the rock arm; and a-locking device operable by the actuating member to hold the tilt-able rod out of engagement with the rock arm.

7 A device of the class described comprising a signal mounted for swingingmovevmentand for rotation; an actuating member constituting a means for rotating the sig nal; a tiltable rod arranged to swing the signal; a finger pivotally supported at one end; a finger pivotally supported intermediate its ends; a connection between one end of the last named finger and the intermediate portion of the first named finger;

between the actuating, mema rod pivoted at one end to the other arm of the bell crank; a pivotally mounted rock arm arranged to be pivotally united with the last named rod; a worm wheel; a pitman connecting the worm wheel with the rock arm; a worm shaft enga 'ng the worm vghfil; and a motor for driving the worm s a I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my sigma-.10 ture in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL LL ADLER.

Witnesses 4 W. A. HALBERT, 'A. S. P. CLAY. 3 

